The present invention relates generally to a cellular metal structure and a process for producing it. More in particular the present invention relates to an electrolytically produced cellular metal structure and process.
Electrolytically produced cellular metal structures or metal foams have previously been described. One common method of production involves applying an electrically conductive coating on a nonconductive substrate and subsequently electrolytically depositing metal on the coating. Examples of such processes are illustrated in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,694,325; 3,549,505; and Great Britain Pat. No. 1,199,404. A filamentary metal structure and an electrolytic method of making it are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,597,822 and 3,407,125.
It is desired to electrolytically produce a cellular metal structure with a plurality of substantially convex cellular compartments in a minimum number of steps without rendering the surfaces of the cellular substrates electrically conductive.